"Leadership" is a term that has been studied, analyzed, defined, and redefined for decades. When businessman and entrepreneur Jeremie Kubicek was hurt in a life threatening car accident, he was faced with his own mortality - and was able to gain a kind of clarity that few will ever experience. Realizing that far too many people who claim to be leaders have abused their positions and lost their moral bearing, Kubicek decided to free himself from the old self-centered view of leadership and embrace a broader, more positive view - one of influence. In LEADERSHIP IS DEAD: How Influence Is Reviving It (Howard Books, May 2011), Kubicek shows how this new leadership style can restore faith in leaders in business and beyond.

Kubicek now sees leadership as a vehicle to influence people and have a positive impact on them - not as a way to convey status, wealth, power, or success. "The runaway greed of Wall Street's leadership, skyrocketing salaries for corporate executives, and unkept promises from political leaders have left most people feeling betrayed and jilted. In many cases, employees are becoming victims of these unresponsive leaders as well," Kubicek explains. Kubicek's leadership style changed based on the idea that the world doesn't simply need more leaders, but rather, true influencers.

In LEADERSHIP IS DEAD, Kubicek discusses the 7 Action Steps that anyone can take to awaken the true leader within:

• Break through your walls of self-preservation and focus on service to others
• Give trust to become trustworthy - without trust, there can be no influence
• Become credible, not just smart - you'll have to prove yourself to establish credibility
• Be intentional in your influence - take conscious action and follow through with what you have intended to do
• Pursue relationships before opportunities - true influence is about establishing authentic connections to others
• Give yourself away - influence means you must give for the benefit of others
• Become "significant" through your memorable, positive impact on others

This self-less, other-centric approach has taken Kubicek beyond his own expectations. Through his company GiANT Impact, he is now spreading this view of leadership around the world. "Influence is about power. How you use that power can alter the trajectory of those around you," states Kubicek. LEADERSHIP IS DEAD is a guidebook for anyone hoping to break free of the conventional expectations of leaders and become true influencers.

Jeremie Kubicek is the president and CEO of Giant Impact and a founding partner of the GiANT Companies. GiANT Impact is a global leadership development company that uses events, resources, and training opportunities to help leaders grow. The company oversees the Chick-fil-A Leadercast, one of the largest leadership events in the country. Kubicek is an entrepreneur who has been building companies for two decades that value people over processes and integrity above all else.